Meniere's Disease => Low-Sodium Diet?

health
(James Tharpe) #1

During a visit to the ENT today, I was diagnosed with Meniere’s disease. While no one knows the exact cause(s) of Meniere’s disease, localized inflammation and retention are strongly suspected as culprits. Here’s a good overview: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/menieres-disease/symptoms-causes/syc-20374910

Among other things, the doctor suggested I cut down on sodium to prevent fluid retention, which isn’t a very keto-friendly suggestion. When I don’t get enough sodium I tend to get headaches and fatigue. I also know that keto tends to reduce fluid retention quite significantly on its own so… what do I do?

I’m looking for suggestions to stay on keto, but modify my diet (and other habits) to reduce inflammation and water retention as much as possible. What do you suggest?

Before anyone brings it up: Yes I already asked the doctor about this, but I got brushed off.

(Todd Allen) #2

http://menieres-help.com/blog/1688/diabetes-insulin-and-menieres-disease/

(Denise G) #3

Oh James i’m so sorry about your diagnosis. I too have Menieres. For me, too much sodium has been a trigger for vertigo episodes. I’ve only been Keto for 10 weeks now and haven’t had an episode. I know that prior certain foods were forbidden to me…asian, pizza, soup from a can and practically every frozen prepared meal. The good new James is that eating whole foods and staying away from processed foods and grains has a lower sodium content. I know that i can’t possibly add enough salt to equal the sodium content of some foods and still i would usually forgo adding salt to my meals because i didn’t want to add additional sodium. But, I have begun to pick up a salt shaker again. It’s a foreign concept and scary to think that i might have a vertigo attack but so far, I’ve been amazed. I do still have constant tinnitus, but the “fullness” seems to be less. I have noticed that if i have a fast food burger (without the bun) the tinnitus tends to be more prominent. But so far, i’m thrilled. I actually added salt to my green tea today. Good luck to you. Here’s hoping Ketogenic will fix Menieres too!

(Sarah ) #4

When I have flare ups of menires, it’s almost always related to congestion in my upper respitory tract or sinuses. Drinks plenty of water (tea broth) helps literally thin things out. Non medicated nasal spray like ocean spray or a netti pot can also really help. Ear candlng, steam rooms, deep slow breathing , warm compresses on the ears… youre literally trying to change the pressure differential between your outer and inner ear, and use fluids to increase drainage. Because yes, fluid build up is part of the issue, but there are lots of ways besides restricting sodium, to address it.

(Roy D) #5

There’s a book titled “The Salt Fix” by Dr. James Dinicolantonio. The book identifies various misconceptions of the impact of salt on the body (both in the public’s eye, and within the medical community). I found parts of the book to be redundant, but overall an interesting read.

The book may be of help to you. I believe I first heard of it from within a 2 Dude’s podcast.

Interesting enough, a LCHF diet is advertised to reduce overall inflammation in the body, which may help your condition. You may want to search of both “keto” and “inflammation” to gather additional knowledge.

(Candy Lind) #6

I’m sure you’ll find plenty of support on the web (and in this community) to stay on keto. You will be using up the salt you ingest to process the fat you eat, so I don’t think you should be afraid to use it. I had a big problem with edema before I started keto and it’s pretty much gone. @richard might be able to point you towards more scientific evidence that keto will help you. If inflammation is a cause, keto should definitely help!

I will be following this thread, because I have a friend whose hubby has Miniere’s.

(Karen) #7

My husband has Meniere’s and daughter recently diagnosed. Reducing salt is one of the first things they tell you.

Question: on keto don’t we increase salt because the kidneys are excreting more salt. Isn’t the salt needed to keep hydrated. If you reduce salt, don’t you need to up your water?

(Richard Morris) #8

Yes. We dump more salt when insulin is low, and can become hyponatremic (low on sodium) which experts think may be the cause of keto flu.

Hi Jimmy - sorry to hear that. A ketogenic diet may be a better treatment for Ménière’s disease than your doctor realizes but I would still follow his advice and try to change his mind. I’ll ask Dr Brookler what he thinks about the salt reduction strategy.

So it turns out that Ménière’s disease may be another manifestation of hyperinsulinaemia.

We’ll ask Dr Kenneth Brookler onto the show soon so we can talk about it in detail … but there’s a video of him discussing this with Ivor Cummins

Also we had a thread on it

He was at Ketofest in 2017, and he won a Sous Vide contraption :slight_smile: I’m hoping we can encourage him up to ketofest in July this year. He’s a tough guy to chase down, he just ran a half marathon in Arizona in his 70s.

(Nancy M) #9

I am a new member and brand new on keto diet. I started my keto diet about 4 weeks ago with increase salt and have had now 4 episodes of dizziness and nausea. They were such terrible episode that I stopped my diet, had carbs (rice and bread) and drank lots of water. It has settled now but now that you mentioned it - it also came with a sinus flare up and asthmatic episode. I am starting to drink lots of water…but lots.

#10

I do low sodium keto and it’s worked out just fine. I typically eat 1000 to 1500 mg per day.

(Karen) #11

I’ve been doing keto and extra salt makes my ankles and lower legs swell. I can’t do the high salt everyone encourages. Do what works for you. My husband has Meneire’s, although the vertigo is no longer a problem. Daughter is starting to show signs of it.

Tough one, I wish you luck with this, as there is not much that helps.

K

#12

Keto and low salt seem to make mine less frequent and less severe. Hope it helps you too.

The attacks I have had after starting keto have come 48 hours after going over 1500 mg of salt for the day.

(Championsidewinder) #13

Same thing happened to me, the doctor and nurses want me to lower my sodium but I told him, without the high carbs my body can’t hold on to the sodium and other electrolyte. They want me to check my bp at home and give to them when they call, and the only reason they act like they care is because they want me back on bp pills which I told them I’m not taking another pill from you ppl ever, not even aspirin or Tylenol they are bad for our bodies. Check out https://youtu.be/lyfLPLLkNwI

(Tony Phillips) #14

Hello James, I too have severe tinnitus. Probably Meniere’s as I have all those symptoms but not my official diagnoses. I knew that aspirin was a trigger and at one point I went on a low dose regime and my tinnitus went out of control. I am 6 months Keto and felt like some of my tinnitus symptoms were improving. I have not had vertigo much at all and generally bearable levels of ringing. A few days ago I started increasing my levels of sodium taking heed to the info I read about Keto and Sodium needs. Yesterday and still today my tinnitus is almost unbearable. The worst is ever been. Now I am realizing I can not consume sodium, at least not in the 3-5k mg levels. Like you I am curious what I can do being Keto, needing sodium but not able to bear the side effects?

#15

You definitely do NOT need the sodium. I am going on almost a year with a low sodium keto diet.